Latch operating mechanism for bulkheads

ABSTRACT

An actuator of multiple latches of a bulkhead is provided with improvement features that insures making the operator of the device cognizant of the condition of the latches, that prevents inadvertent swinging of a handle that could result in damage, that brings about improved movement of linkages that operate the latches, and which permits of reduced servicing costs in the event repair is required.

May a, 1973 United States Patent [191 Enochian [56] References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS [54] LATCH OPERATING MECHANHSM 3,330,584 7/1967Kuellmar.. 3,352,257 11/1967 Lehnert.... 3,575,451 4/1971 AssigneesUnarco Industries, Inc., Chicago,

Primary ExaminerRobert L. Wolfe Attorney-Norman Lettvin [22] Filed: Nov.4, 1971 Appl. No.: 195,675

[ ABSTRACT An actuator of multiple latches of a bulkhead is pro- RelatedU.S. Application Data Continuation-impart Of 5611 vided with improvementfeatures that insures making 1970, Pat. N0. 3,695,656.

the operator of the device cognizant of the condition of the latches,that prevents inadvertent swinging of a [52] US. Cl..............292/34, 105/376, 292/36 handle that could result in damage,that brings about improved movement of linkages that operate thelatches, and which permits of reduced servicing costs in the eventrepair is required.

6 0 H4 9 C m w 6 M 2 c9 52 m E." mh c r a e mS m d Ld hm.. .1] 00 55 9Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEB W @1975 SHEET 2 UF 2 LATCH OPERATINGMECHANISM FOR BULKHEADS CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION Thisapplication is a Continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. application Ser. No.81,294, filed Oct. 16, 1970 and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,656.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a device foroperating the latching mechanism that is normally provided on a bulkheadused as a space divider in freight-carrying bodies such as railway boxcars and the like.

As noted in the parent application, Ser. No. 81,294, link mechanisms forsimultaneously actuating multiple latches on bulkheads are disclosed inU.S. Pat. Nos. 3,168,055 and 3,330,584 and an improvement in such priorart is disclosed in providing a third handle located between the uprightedges of the bulkhead and cooperatively arranged with the cross bar,that interconnects the multiple latches, so as to longitudinallyreciprocate the cross bar by swinging action of the third handle in adirection transverse to the plane of the bulkhead.

In the improved construction previously disclosed, the bias of springmeans was relied upon to restore certain operative portions of thesystemto their normal condition. However, under certain conditions, whereinthe latch elements are not fully latched, it is possible that allportions of the system are not restored to their normal condition andthe operator would be unaware of such condition since the third handlecould be restored to its normal position stored away in the bulkhead.This could provide two safety problems, namely the bulkhead would not beproperly latched and could move to cause an unsafe condition, and thethird handle would be free to move and under certain conditions couldswing transversely outwardly of the bulkhead to cause an unsafecondition to lading or personnel.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a safety actuatorin which the latch pins and the third handle mechanism are positivelyinterconnected so that the handle cannot be stored away unless the latchpins have been fully extended to a locking position. Thisinterconnection assures positive latching of the bulkhead and alsoindicates to the operator when the bulkhead is not latched.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for holding thehandle in an inoperative stored away position when the latch pins arefully extended.

Other objects of the invention are: (a) to provide a positive connectionbetween the cross bar and the third handle when the third handle isoperated and to permit movement of the cross bar relative to the thirdhandle when the side handles are operated; ('b) to provide for greaterlateral movement of the reciprocating cross bar; and (c) to provide anactuator which is readily serviceable in the event of the need forrepair or replacement.

Further purposes and objects of this invention will become apparent fromthe following explanation of the v invention, which is provided in thedetailed description and claims, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION There is provided by this invention a latch pinactuator which operates in association with a horizontally movable crossbar wherein a third handle mechanism is provided with means forpositively moving the cross bar in the direction for retracting thelatch pins from the latching position and for positively moving thecross bar in the opposite direction for extending the latch pins intothe latching position. By virtue of this mechanism the handle willremain in a position transverse to and projecting from the bulkhead ifthe latch pins do not assume their latched position. This immediatelynotifies the operator that the bulkhead is not latched and permits himto positively extend the latch pins for engagement by manipulation ofthe third handle or to take other corrective steps. In the embodimentshown herein the third handle mechanism includes a camming member havinga flange-like camming surface and an operating handle. The member ismounted to the bulkhead for rotation about an axis parallel to the axisof the cross bar. Since the third handle mechanism is separate from thecross bar it may be readily serviced and the flange type of cammingsurface can be provided with numerous shapes for controlling thedistance through which the cross bar will reciprocate. Cam-followingmeans mounted to the cross bar are provided for engaging either side ofthe camming surface to assure positive connection between the thirdhandle and the cross bar for positively extending the latch pins forengagement and also for holding the handle in an extended position so asto indicate to the operator that the latch pins have not been extended.

Means are also provided in association with the cam member to hold thethird handle in a stored away position when the pins are latched.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view ofa typical railroad freight car equipped with a bulkhead that. embodiesthis invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged and partially sectioned elevationalview of a bulkhead, showing the safety actuator;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, enlarged and partially sectioned view of anupright side edge as viewed looking from the right of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detailed view of a lost motion connection at oneof the operating handles located at the side edge of the bulkhead;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged and fragmentary elevational view showing detailsof the cam member and cam followers associated with the third handle andcross bar for reciprocating the cross bar;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 depicting the cam member rotatedupwardly and illustrating the displacement of the cam followers andcross bar resulting therefrom;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 77 of FIG. 5 and depicting the positioning of the cam followers and thecamming surface when the third handle actuator is in the inoperativeposition; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary and sectional view looking from theright of FIG. and illustrating additional details of the construction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings,FIG. 1 illustrates. a typical environment for a bulkhead that embodiesthe invention. Thus, a railway boxcar is shown in plan as including sidewalls 10, end walls 12, door openings 14, lading 16 and space-dividingbulkheads 18 that are movable longitudinally in the car and operate tohold lading 16 in position. As disclosed in the said U.S. Pat. Nos.3,168,055 and 3,330,584, each bulkhead 18 is provided with latch pins 20at the corners of the bulkhead adapted to be reciprocated between aposition of latching engagement with fixed structure 22 on the car andan unlatched position.

Each bulkhead 18 includes end post structure 24 at each upright edgewith link means 26 therein connected to the latch pins 20. A handle 28is arranged to swing in the plane of bulkhead 18 to actuate the linkmeans 26 that includes a substantially horizontal cross bar 30 thatextends through bulkhead l8 and interconnects the link means 26 andhandles 28 in the two end posts. Each handle 28 is slidable in a sleeve32 between full line position of storage and a broken line position ofuse where it serves as a lever to multiply the applied force tofacilitate withdrawal of the latch pins 20. Each sleeve 32 is arcuatelyapertured at 34, as seen in FIG. 4 to provide a lost motion connectionbetween sleeve 32 and an abutment 35 that is arranged to operate a link36 that connects to cross bar 30. Thus far, the structure hereindescribed is of the type disclosed in full detail in U.S. Pat. No.3,330,584, and by this reference to such disclosure in the prior art thesame is adopted by reference herein and made a part hereof. The latchpins are normally spring biased toward a latching position. When thelatch pins 20 are in latching position, the cross bar 30 is at itsfurthermost position to the right as viewed in FIG. 2. Any manipulationof either handle 28 will tend to move cross bar 30 to the left from theposition shown in FIG. 2 for purposes of effecting unlatching of all thelatch pins 20.

The third handle 40 which is added by the instant in vention to thestructure disclosed is illustrated in FIG. 2. The bulkhead 18 is shownto include opposite side panels 18a that operate to enclose the framestructure of the bulkhead. Preferably such panels 18a are of sheet metalalthough such cover panels may be of any appropriate material. Centrallybetween the edges of the bulkhead, each panel 18a has a cut-out portionor access portion 18b. The panel 18a has a second opening, or aperture,18c for manual access to an inching fall chain 38 of a type similar tothat disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,l68,055.

The third handle mechanism 40, for reciprocating the cross bar 30includes a cam member 42 having an integral transversely extendingcamming flange 43. The cam member 42 is rotatably mounted on the shaft44 for movement within the access portion 18b and about an axis spacedbelow and generally parallel to the cross bar 30.

A handle 46 is mounted to the cam member and serves as a lever tomultiply the applied force for facilitating the movement of the crossbar 30. A pair of spaced roller-type cam followers 50 and 52 are mountedto the cross bar and positioned for engagement with opposite sides ofthe camming flange 43 when cam 42 is out of its normal position. A thirdroller-type cam follower is provided at 51, coaxially of and below camfollower 50.

As seen in FIG. 5 the camming member 42 is secured to the shaft 44 topivot about the axis thereof. A lock pin or bolt 54 carried by shaft 44engages recess 56 in cam member 42 to provide an operative connectiontherebetween. The flange 43, both sides of which act as cammingsurfaces, extends as a segment of a helix from the body of the member42.

The profile or shape of the camming flange 43 is selected to obtain thedesired logitudinal movement of cross rod 30. When cam member 42 is inits normal position as seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, the handle 46 extendsvertically downwardly within the confines of the bulkhead 18, and 180away from handle 46 the flange 43 is cut away to provide a pass-throughslot 58. Directly below slot 58 and in the side of flange 43 facing camfollower 50 there is provided a dwell recess 60 having a radius ofcurvature that is smaller than the radius of curvature of adjacentportions of the helical cam flange 43.

The radius of curvature of the third cam follower 51 is selected to beless than the radius of curvature of cam follower 50 and the radius ofcurvature of follower 51 and recess 60 are selected to provide a dwellengagement therebetween which operates to normally maintain the handle46 in its vertical stored-away position in FIGS. 2 and 5. In the normalposition the followers 50 and 52 are aligned with the pass-through slot58, which slot is of greater dimension than either of followers 50 and52. This arrangement permits movement of cross rod 30 under manipulationof handles 28. When the latches are fully extended, cross rod 30 is atits furthermost position to the right as viewed in FIG. 2, then camfollower 51 is seated in dwell recess 60.

Now, when the latch pins 20 are to be retracted, the handle 46 isgrasped and swung upwardly, which causes the cam follower 51 to beunseated from its dwell position in recess 60 while simultaneouslymoving the radial outer portion of camming flange 43 to slide againstthe roller 50. Further rotation of cam 42 causes follower 50 and crossrod 30 to move to the left as seen in FIGS. 2 and 5.

The pitch, or effective axial length of the operative portion of camflange 43 is selected to provide the desired longitudinal movement ofcross bar 30. The terminus of the effective axial length of flange 43 isdefined by stop shoulders that are positioned to engage the second camfollower S2. The shoulders can be positioned wherever desired so as tovary the amount of rotation necessary in order to move the cross bar 30and hence attain the desired displacement of the bar. In the embodimentshown, the handle and camming member 42 are to be rotated about asindicated in FIG. 8 to achieve the desired cross bar displacement.However, there is no reason that the stop or limiting shoulders 64cannot be positioned so as to limit rotation of cam 42 to 90, or topermit rotation as much as Comparing FIGS. 5 and 6 which locates thecamming member 42 in vertically aligned relationship,

one is able to see how in FIG. 6 the cross bar 30 and the cam followers50 and 52 have been displaced to the left as compared to FIG. 5.

After the latch pins have been retracted and the bulkhead 18 ispositioned against the lading 16, the handle 46 is then rotateddownwardly toward its normal position of FIG. 2 to permit the latch pinsto be extended by allowing the cross bar to move to the right under thespring-biasing forces. The spring-biasing forces nOrmally would hold theroller 50 against the flange 43 as the handle 46 is rotated downwardly.But in the event that the pins are obstructed, or the springbiasingforces are insufficient to move the cross bar 30, then continueddownward swinging of the handle causes the flange 43 to disengage fromthe roller 50 and the backside of flange 43 then moves to engage theroller 52. The spacing between the opposed surfaces of rollers 50 and 52is sufficiently slightly greater than the thickness of the flange topermit normal swinging of the flange 43 between said followers, and sothat there is only slight pivotal movement of the handle 46 betweenpositions where roller 50 is disengaged and roller 52 is engaged. Inthis situation the handle 46 still projects outwardly from the plane ofthe bulkhead 18, thus clearly indicating that the latch pins 26 have notbeen fully extended and that the bulkhead is not yet latched inposition. The alerted operator then can either continue downwardmovement of handle 46 if the situation permits, or he may move thebulkhead so as to properly align the latch pins with latching recessesand then continue pushing downwardly on the handle 46 until handle 46reaches its normal vertical position. If the operator cannot restorehandle 46 to its normal position then.

he knows that something needs correction and thus the handle serves as ameans to alert the operator to unsafe conditions.

When the handle 46 has been rotated fully downwardly to the inoperativeposition the spring-biasing action urges the third cam follower 51 intoengagement with the dwell recess 60 so as to maintain the handle 46 andthe camming member 42 in the inoperative stored position and to preventinadvertent swinging of handle 46 outwardly of the bulkhead.

As the cross bar 30 reciprocates, under the actuation of third handlemechanism the lost motion connections 34 operate to keep the sidehandles 26 in their inoperative positions.

When the third handle mechanism 40 is in the stored-away position thelatch pins may be retracted and extended by means of the side handles26. This is done by positioning the handles 28 for operation, asindicated by the broken lines, and swinging the handles downwardly whichurges the cross bar 30 to the left. As the cross bar 30 moves to theleft the rollers 50 and 52 also move to the left. When the cam member 42is in the stored-away position the slot 58 and roller 52 are aligned sothat the roller 52 can move through the slot 58. This permits the crossbar to freely reciprocate to the left and right as it is operated by thehandles 28 when the third handle mechanism 40 is in the stored away andinoperative position. As seen in FIG. '7 the follower 52 moves to theleft and through the slot 58 as the latch pins are retracted and to theright back through the slot as the pins are extended. Movement of thecross bar to the right continues until the follower 51 engages therecess dwell 60.

Referring back to FIG. 1, in the event that it is necessary to repairthe third handle mechanism 40, it will be appreciated that the repairscan be made quite readily since the cam member 42 and and handle 46 canbe readily removed from the bulkhead. If the cam followers S'ii, 5B, or52 are to be removed from the cross bar this can be done by disengagingthe nuts, such as 66, which engage the studs, such as 68, by which thefollowers are mounted to the cross bar. Thus repair of the actuator canbe achieved without disassembling the cross bar or latching system. Itwill be appreciated that numerous modifications and changes can be madeto the embodiment disclosed herein without departing from the spirit andscope of this invention.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. In an actuator of multiple latch pins on a bulkhead utilizing asubstantially horizontal reciprocating cross bar for tying together allthe latch pins for simultaneous actuation, and a handle and lost motionconnection for the handle at each upright edge of the bulkhead arrangedto permit each handle to manipulate the latch pins and cross bar withoutactuating the other handle, the improvement ofa third handle locatedbetween the said upright edges of the bulkhead, and movable transverselyof the bulkhead between an inoperative position wherein the latch pinsare unlatched, means operatively associated with the third handle andcross bar to effect a positive movement of the cross bar as the handleswings in both directions between the inoperative position and theoperative position.

2. An actuator as in claim I wherein said means operatively associatedwith thethird handle and cross bar comprise cam following means mountedto said cross bar, and cam means being arranged to engage said camfollowing means for reciprocating said cross bar in both directions.

3. An actuator as in claim 2 wherein said cam means are mounted to saidbulkhead for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to said crossbar.

4. An actuator as in claim 3 wherein said cam means includes meansdefining a curved camming flange which extends transverse to the axis ofrotation.

5. An actuator as in claim 4 wherein said cam following means comprisesmeans for engaging one side of said flange as said cam is rotated in onedirection and means engageable with the other side of said flange as thecam is rotated in the opposite direction.

6. An actuator as in claim 5 wherein said cam following means comprise apair of rollers mounted in closely spaced relation to each other on saidcross bar and arranged to engage opposite sides of said flange.

7. An actuator as in claim ll wherein means are provided in associationwith said cross bar for engaging said means operatively associated withsaid third handle for maintaining said handle in a stored-away position.

6. An actuator as in claim 6 wherein one of said camfollowing rollersincludes a small radius of curvature roller and said flange means areprovided with a dwell recess adapted to receive said small roller tomaintain said handle in a downwardly vertical stored-away position.

9. An actuator as in claim 5 wherein said flange means are provided withpass-through slot, said slot being arranged to permit one of said camfollowers to pass there-through when said third handle is in astored-away position and said latch pins are actuated by one of theupright edge positioned side handles.

1. In an actuator of multiple latch pins on a bulkhead utilizing asubstantially horizontal reciprocating cross bar for tying together allthe latch pins for simultaneous actuation, and a handle and lost motionconnection for the handle at each upright edge of the bulkhead arrangedto permit each handle to manipulate the latch pins and cross bar withoutactuating the other handle, the improvement of a third handle locatedbetween the said upright edges of the bulkhead, and movable transverselyof the bulkhead between an inoperative position wherein the latch pinsare unlatched, means operatively associated with the third handle andcross bar to effect a positive movement of the cross bar as the handleswings in both directions between the inoperative position and theoperative position.
 2. An actuator as in claim 1 wherein said meansoperatively associated with the third handle and cross bar comprise camfollowing means mounted to said cross bar, and cam means being arrangedto engage said cam following means for reciprocating said cross bar inboth directions.
 3. An actuator as in claim 2 wherein said cam means aremounted to said bulkhead for rotation about an axis substantiallyparallel to said cross bar.
 4. An actuator as in claim 3 wherein saidcam means includes means defining a curved camming flange which extendstransverse to the axis of rotation.
 5. An actuator as in claim 4 whereinsaid cam following means comprises means for engaging one side of saidflange as said cam is rotated in one direction and means engageable withthe other side of said flange as the cam is rotated in the oppositedirection.
 6. An actuator as in claim 5 wherein said cam following meanscomprise a pair of rollers mounted in closely spaced relation to eachother on said cross bar and arranged to engage opposite sides of saidflange.
 7. An actuator as in claim 1 wherein means are provided inassociation with said cross bar for engaging said means operativelyassociated with said third handle foR maintaining said handle in astored-away position.
 8. An actuator as in claim 6 wherein one of saidcam-following rollers includes a small radius of curvature roller andsaid flange means are provided with a dwell recess adapted to receivesaid small roller to maintain said handle in a downwardly verticalstored-away position.
 9. An actuator as in claim 5 wherein said flangemeans are provided with pass-through slot, said slot being arranged topermit one of said cam followers to pass there-through when said thirdhandle is in a stored-away position and said latch pins are actuated byone of the upright edge positioned side handles.